Willow-stripping machine.



G. S. & G. J. HERRIGK.

WILLOW STRIPPING MACHINE.

APPLICATION FILED APR. 12, 1909.

959,741 Patented May 31,1910.

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7 G. S. & 0. J. HERRIGK. WILLOW STRIPPING MAOHINE APPLICATION FILEDAPR.12. 1909.

Patented May 31, 1910.

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G. S. & 0. J. HERRIGK. WILLOW STRIPPING MACHINE.

APPLICATION FILED APR.12, 1909. 959,741.,

Patented May 31, 1910.

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ATTOR/VE VJ G. S. & G. J. HERRICK. WILLOW STRIPPING MACHINE.

APPLICATION FILED APR. 12, 1909.

Patented May 31, 1910.

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GEORGE S. HERRICK AND CHARLES J. HERBICK, OF SYRACUSE, NEW YORK.

WILLOW-STRIPPING MACHINE.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that we, GEORGE S. HERRIOK and CHARLES J. HERRIOK, citizensof the United States, and residents of Syracuse, in the county ofOnondaga, in the State of New York, have invented new and usefulImprovements in Willow-Stripping Machines, of which the following, takenin connection with the accompanying drawings, is a full, clear, andeXact description.

This invention relates to machines which are designed to remove the barkfrom willows whereby said willows may be woven into baskets and otherarticles, and it has special reference to the class of machinesembodying a pair of parallel traveling belts beween which the willowsare passed by means of a suitable feeding device, said belts cooperatingwith the feeding device to strip the willows.

The chief object of this invention is to produce a willow-strippingmachine which will have greater capacity and shall be more efficient andreliable in its operation, and to provide cooperating feeding andstripping devices which shall be capable of automatic adjustment tocompensate for the variation in thickness of the willows to be stripped.

A further object of the invention is to produce a machine which shall besimple and compact in construction whereby all of its moving parts maybe completely housed if required, so as to protect the person in chargefrom injury by his or her clothes being caught.

Other objects of the invention will be apparent from the novelarrangement and combination of the component parts of the machinehereafter fully described and claimed.

In the accompanying drawings Figure 1 is a front elevation of thewillow-stripping machine constructed in accordance with our invention;Fig. 2 is a plan view of the same; Fig. 3 is an end view of the machineminus the driving pulley and loose pulley; Figs. 4- and 5 are verticalsectional. views taken on the dotted lines ac0c and g respectively inFig. 1; and Fig. 6 is a longitudinal section on the dotted line za inFig. 2.

Like numerals of reference indicate like parts in the several views ofthe drawings.

-1 denotes the frame of the machine which may be of any suitable styleor construction.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Application filed April 12, 1909.

Patented May 31, 1910.

Serial No. 489,384.

2- denotes the. main shaft which is journaled in suitable boxes 33mounted on the base of the frame, to which shaft areprovided the usualdriving pulley 4 and loose pulley 5, and 6- is the driving belt whichmay be shifted from one pulley to the other by any of the well knowndevices employed for this purpose, (not necessary to show). Thestripping means comprises essentially a pair of horizontal belts -77arranged in the same vertical plane with the lower portion of the upperbelt traveling in contact with upper portion of the other belt whichbelts receive the willows transversely between them. Saidstripping-belts 77 run on grooved wheels 88-8 8 which are keyed orotherwise secured to shafts 9-99"9*' journaled in suitable boxes10--lO1O l0 fastened to the frame 1, motion being transmitted from oneof the lower shafts 9 to the adjacent upper shaft --9* by gears 1112--secured to the respective shafts. This lower shaft 9 is connected to acounter-shaft -13 by means of sprocket-wheels 1415- secured to therespective shafts and a chain 16, so as to drive the shaft 9 at a 1 t0 2ratio. Said counter-shaft 13- is journaled in suitable boxes 17-17-secured to the base of the frame and is driven by means of a bevel-gear-1 secured there to and meshing with a bevel-pinion -l9- secured to themain shaft -2. We prefer to gear the shaft 13 to the shaft -2 at a l to1 ratio, and thus drive the stripping belts 77 at comparatively lowspeed.

To allow the butt-end of a willow to be readily inserted transverselybetween the stripping-belts 7 7 we bevel the outer or contacting facesof said belts approximately from the center of their widths toward thefront or feed-side and preferably make the lower bolt wider than upperbelt. By thus beveling the said belts, two converging surfaces areobviously produced on the respective belts as indicated at -2021- andmore clearly illustrated in Figs. 4 and 5 of the drawings. To normallymaintain the stripping portions of the belts in intimate contact, weprovide the lower belt -7 with a bed-plate -22 fastened by means ofbolts 23--23 to brackets --2424 attached by bolts -2525t0 the standards26 which support the willow feeding devices which devices will beshortly explained. Longitudinally over the stripping-portion of theupper belt 7 is provided a plate 27 which presses the said belt on tothe lower belt. a This presser-plate --27 1s sustained yielding on thebelt -7" by means of spiral-springs -2828- interposed between said plateand a parallel bar 29- arranged thereabove, which latter is secured toor formed integral with brackets -30- fastened to the aforesaidstandards 26 by means of bolts -313 1-. These springs are preferablydisposed in tubular posts 32-32 fastened to the top of the plate -27 andeach bears with its opposite ends against the plate and a collar -33secured to the lower end of a vertical adjustingscrew "34- working inthe bar 29*. By means of said screws the tension of the springs can beregulated so as to cause the plate 27- to press the belt -7 with greateror less force upon the lowerbelt 7 as the apparent average thickness ofthe willows to be stripped may require, to obtain the best results. Theplate 27 and bar 29- are connected by spiral-springs 3535 which serve todraw the plate away from the belt 7* when the tension of the aforesaidsprings on the plate is decreased. To sustain the stripping portions ofthe belt laterally we provide the plates 22 and -27 with guidesconsisting of flanges 36-36 formed at the longitudinal edges of saidplates as clearly illustrated in Figs. t and 5 of the drawings.

To insure the entrance of the butt-end of the willow between thestripping-belts and to protect the beveled surfaces of the belts frominjury by contact with sharp edges in protuberances on the willow weprovide two guards -3737 consisting preferably of thin steel platesarranged correspondingly with said surfaces to partly cover the same.These guard-plates are secured by means of screws 38-38- to the flanges36-86 on the bed-plate and presserplate and the forward edges of saidguardplates are deflected from each other.

The willow-feeding means consists of two pairs of parallel rubber-facedrollers 3939 of uniform size disposed at opposite sides of the belts-7-7 the rollers of each pair being keyed or otherwise secured to shafts-1040 arranged in the same vertical plane and at right angles to theshafts of the pulleys, between which pairs of rollers the butt-ends ofthe willows are introduced. The shaft of each of the lower feedrollersis rotated by means of a chain l1 running on sprocket-wheels 42-43secured to said shaft and main shaft -2 respectively, the relative sizesof said sprocket-wheels being such as to drive the rollers at a 2 to 1ratio. Motion is transmitted from each lower-feed roller to the adjacentupper feed-roller by means of gears -4445 fastened to the respectiverollershafts as more clearly shown in Fig. 3 of the drawings. The shaftsof the lower feedrollers are journaled in suitable boxes -46t6- rigidlysupported in vertical slots at7-47 formed in the standards -26-26-hereinbefore referred to, said standards being fastened to suitableparts of the frame 1 by means of bolts l8- l8. The shafts of the upperfeedrollers are journaled in similar boxes l94:9- disposedlongitudinally movable in the slots d7-47 of the standards. To allow thesaid upper rollers to yield to compensate for the variation in the sizesof the willows being fed, we supportthe journalboxes 49-l9 on the upperends of spiral-springs 505() which rest with their opposite ends onposts -515l secured upon the lower journal-boxes --t6t6- by bolts 5252.preferably extend through the upper ends of the standards to allow thejournal-boxes to be readily applied to and removed from the standards.At the upper ends of the standards are disposed horizontal bars 5853secured by means of bolts and extending across the slots. To said barsare applied vertical screws -5%54- bearing upon circular-shaped plates5555-, be-

tween which plates and aforesaid journalboxes 4949- are interposedspiralsprings 5656. By the described arrangement of screws and springsthe upper feed-rollers are allowed to. yield for the purpose stated.

By providing the front feed-rollers with faces of rubber having theproper degree of elasticity, the bark of the willows is split or crackedthroughout the length thereof, and by driving the rollers at a very highspeed in relation to that of the traveling belts 77 the bark will becompletely stripped from the willow without danger of injury to willow.

lVhat we claim as our invention is 1. In a machine for removing the barkfrom willows, the combination of a pair of strippingbelts traveling incontact, means for receiving the willows endwise to crack the bark andto feed the willows transversely between the stripping-belts, andmechanisms for driving said belts and operating the combinedbark-cracking and feeding'means as set forth.

2. In a machine for removing the bark from willows, the combination oftwo continuous horizontally moving flexible stripping members sustainedyieldingly in contact, a pair of rollers disposed at one side of thestripping-members and adapted to receive the willows endwisetherebetween to crack the bark and feed the willows between thestripping members, a pair of auxiliary rollers disposed at the oppositeside of the strippingmembers for drawing the stripped willows therefrom,and mechanisms for operating the said stripping-members and rollers asset forth.

3. In a machine for removing the bark from willows, the combination oftwo stripping-belts traveling in contact and having their contactingfaces oppositely beveled, means for feeding the willows between the saidbelts, and at right angles to the travel thereof, mechanism for drivingthe stripping-belts at a comparatively low speed, and mechanism foroperating the feeding means at a relatively high speed as set forth.

4. In a machine for the purpose stated, the combination ofstripping-means comprising a pair of parallel horizontal belts travelingin contact, two pairs of feed rollers supported at opposite sides of thecontact portions of the stripping-belts and having their axes disposedparallel with the belts, means for driving said belts at a slow speed,and means for rotating the rollers at a comparatively high speed as setforth.

5. In a machine for the purpose stated, the combination ofstripping-means comprising a pair of parallel horizontal slow travelingbelts disposed in the same vertical plane and in contact, two pairs ofhigh speed rollers disposed at opposite sides of the contacting portionsof the belts to feed the willows transversely between the belts, oneroller of each pair being yieldingly supported, and yieldingly sustainedmeans pressing one belt against the other belt as set forth.

6. In a machine for the purpose stated, the combination of a pair ofparallel horizontal stripping-belts disposed in the same vertical planeand traveling in contact, pulleys carrying said belts, gearstransmitting motion from one lower pulley to the adjacent upper pulley,mechanism for driving said lower pulley, two pairs of feed-rollerssupported at opposite sides of the strippingbelts and having their axesdisposed at right angles to the axes of the pulleys, gears connectingthe rollers of each pair, and mechanism for operating said gears as setforth.

7. A machine for stripping willows comprising a main driving shaft, apair of stripping-belts traveling in contact and having their contactingfaces oppositely beveled, mechanism transmitting motion from the shaftto the stripping-belts, two guardplates extending partway across thebeveled faces of the belts, a pair of rollers for feed ing the willowsbetween the guard-plates and between the stripping-belts, a second pairof rollers for drawing the stripped willows from the belts, and separateand correspondingly geared mechanisms transmitting motion from the shaftto the two pairs of rollers as set forth.

8. A willow-stripping machine comprising a pair of parallel horizontalstrippingbelts traveling in contact one above the other and having theircontacting faces oppositely beveled, means for feeding the willowsbetween said belts, a pair of guardplates between which the willows arepassed, a bed-plate disposed under the lower belt, a presser-platesupported yieldingly over the upper belt, and means supporting the saidguard-plates on the bedplate and presser-plate respectively as setforth.

9. A willow stripping machine comprising two cooperating oppositelybeveled stripping members disposed one above the other, means operatingsaid members, a stationary bed upon which the lower stripping member isadapted to bear, an adjustable and yieldingly supported presser-platehearing upon the upper stripping member, guard-members disposed adjacentto the beveled portions of the stripping members and supported by thebed and presser-plate, and means for feeding the willows through theguard means to insure their passage between the stripping members as setforth.

10. A willow-stripping machine comprising a pair of parallel horizontalstrippingbelts traveling in contact one over the other, means forfeeding the willows between said belts, a bed-plate supported under thelower belt, and a yielding presser-plate supported above the upper belt,said plates being formed with flanges for guiding the belts as setforth.

11. A machine for the purpose stated, comprising a pair of parallelhorizontal stripping-belts arranged in the same vertical plane andtraveling in contact with each other, feeding means at one side of thebelts for presenting the willows transversely to the belts, a bedsupported below the stripping-portion of the lower belt, a yieldinglysupported presser-plate adapted to bear upon the stripping-portion ofthe upper belt, guides for sustaining said stripping-portions againstlateral movement, and guards supported at the front sides of saidstrippingportions of the belts between which guards the willows are fed,as set forth.

12. A machine for the purpose stated, comprising a pair of parallelhorizontal stripping belts, arranged in the same vertical plane andtraveling in contact with each other, and pulleys supporting said belts,said belts having their outer faces beveled correspondingly to form twoconverging surfaces to facilitate the entrance transversely of thewillows therebetween, as set forth and shown.

13. A willow stripping machine, comprising a frame, a pair of parallelhorizontal stripping belts arranged in the same vertical plane andtraveling with adjacent portions in contact, said belts having theiredges of the plates and extending lengthwise thereof and adapted to lieon the 'bev-, eled faces of the belts, a pair of rollers disposedadjacent to the guard-plates for feeding the willows between the belts,and a second pair of rollers disposed to draw the stripped willowsfrolnt-he belts as set forth.

GEORGE S. HERRICK. [L.S.]

CHARLES J. HERRICK. [L. s]

Witnesses:

FRED HAMMOND, M. LAASS.

